Best VPN: What is the best VPN service? NordVPN, Express VPN, Surfshark, and more RATED

Hunting for the best VPN money can buy? That’s no easy task as there are a mind-boggling number of Virtual Private Networks – or VPNs – out there.

The reason for the dizzying number of options is simple – VPNs are a must-have app on your smartphone, laptop, streaming set-top box, or tablet. That’s because VPNs unlock a number of incredibly useful features, from keeping your web browsing history truly private to unlocking TV shows, films and sports that aren’t available to stream in your current location due to pesky geo restrictions. Not only that, but a good VPN will also ensure that any personal data entered into online forms remains completely safe from prying eyes (even your broadband provider won’t be able to keep tabs!)

Ticking all of these boxes (and many, many more) is NordVPN.

That’s why we’ve crowned NordVPN as the best VPN in September 2022. It strikes a brilliant balance between advanced features – like automatic Dark Web monitoring, split-tunnelling, a built-in password manager, and its new Meshnet feature that lets you create your own VPN server worldwide with any gadgets in your collection – and an incredibly easy-to-use app that won’t intimidate VPN newcomers.

NordVPN offers apps for every platform, including iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows, macOS, and Fire TV for streaming fans. It has server locations across the globe, so you’ll be able to stream TV shows, films, and live sports fixtures from anywhere on the planet with a few taps. Download speeds are only reduced by a marginal amount, so you won’t need to worry about endless buffering before sinking your teeth into the latest boxset binge on Netflix US.

Unlike some of the closest competition, NordVPN prices start from under just £3 and it boasts a quibble-free 30 days money-back guarantee, so signing up is risk-free! In fact, it’s almost a free trial. There’s also support for Apple Pay and Google Pay at checkout, which means you can sign-up with a couple of taps and not hand over any card details.

NordVPN doesn’t store any data on its subscribers because it’s located in a nation without data retention laws, so your web browsing habits will remain completely private …unlike going online without a VPN!

Our complete ranking of the best VPN services in September 2022 is as follows…

1. NordVPN 
2. ExpressVPN 
3. SurfShark VPN 

Download any of these and you’ll be very happy with the experience (and monthly bills). All of these top-rated VPNs have apps available for a wide range of popular devices, reliable download speeds for streaming, dozens of server locations across the globe, and more.

Scroll down if you’d like more information on all of these Virtual Private Networks, as well as some answers to the most commonly asked questions around VPNs, like what is split-tunnelling, whether VPNs will slow your download speeds, which VPN is the safest, and many more. Whether you’re a veteran VPN user or a newcomer looking to boost security on their devices or stream Netflix US, there should be something for everyone in this VPN guide.

Virtual Private Networks – more commonly referred to as VPNs – create an encrypted tunnel for all of your internet traffic that shields everything from prying eyes.

This encrypted tunnel hides the websites that you visit, the data that you input into online forms, and the files that you download. All of this personal information is hidden away from your home broadband provider, governments, and advertisers. If you’re using a public Wi-Fi network, like those in coffee shops, stadiums, and airports, a VPN will prevent bad actors from intercepting any of your sensitive data. Think of it like Incognito Mode in Google Chrome, but cranked-up to 11. 

Since all of your online data is being funnelled through a secure connection, your traffic can be routed via servers across the globe.

When connecting to the internet without a VPN, your home broadband router will assign an IP address with your current location. This is what allows online apps like Google Maps to pinpoint where you are. However, it’s also what allows services like HBO Max to block you from streaming, since its service isn’t currently available in the UK due to its ongoing exclusivity deal with Sky. 

With a VPN installed, all of your internet traffic can be redirected through hundreds of servers dotted across the globe. This will change your IP address and makes it appear as if you’re located in another country. If you’re looking to access online services (like Twitter, Google, and Facebook) that are banned in your current location, switching to a server in the UK or United States will unlock these sites.

Likewise, streaming fans will be able to browse and stream from catalogues in a wide variety of different nations. Netflix offers a different selection of TV shows and movies in each country, with some subscribers enjoying a much bigger selection of boxsets for the same monthly fee. HBO Max is available in the United States and much of mainland Europe, but has no release date scheduled for the UK – blocking viewers from streaming House of the Dragon in 4K Ultra HD. By choosing a server in a different country, your VPN will allow you to unlock all of these services (and more) on your iPhone, Android, or on the big screen using a Fire TV Stick, for example.

VPNs boasts privacy, keeps you safe from attacks on public Wi-Fi networks (likely the reason any work laptops you’ve owned all required a VPN before you work from outside of the office), and lets you stream TV shows from anywhere on the planet. These services are also crucial to keep your internet history safe from governments too, with these apps used by whistleblowers and sources helping journalists uncover wrongdoing.

The best VPNs don’t stop there either …with many of these popular apps bundling extra functionality too, including Dark Web monitoring (to check whether your login credentials have been stolen by hackers and sold on Dark Web forums) and password managers (so every online account can have a unique alpha-numeric password …with everything locked away securely in a single app) to add extra value to these subscription services. 

It’s true that, once upon a time, VPNs were pretty niche and were only used by enterprise users. But the explosion in streaming services, such as Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+, and HBO Max, has catapulted VPNs into the mainstream.

While encryption is an essential aspect of a Virtual Private Network (and the reason that your workplace likely requires you to turn on a VPN before working from home), it’s the ability to manually change your IP addresses using the hundreds of server locations around the world that makes these apps so exciting.

For those who don’t know, an IP address is assigned to your device whenever you connect to the internet and contains information on your location. It’s the reason you’re able to see your current address on Google Maps or the way that retailers enable features like Find Your Nearest Store on their websites.

Some of the most popular streaming services place geographic restrictions on their content, usually due to different licensing agreements in each country. For example, while Tina Fey’s seminal sit-com 30 Rock is available to watch in its entirety on Netflix in the United States …however, the show is only available via Sky Comedy in the UK due to different licensing agreements agreed upon by the broadcasters. Likewise, Supernatural – a hit horror-drama from The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke – is available to stream in its entirety on Netflix US, but isn’t available to stream anywhere in the UK. Instead, you’ll need to buy individual episodes from digital stores like iTunes or Prime Video.

It’s well known that UK subscribers have access to a smaller catalogue of shows, documentaries and movies than their US counterparts, despite paying the same monthly fee. And some streaming services, like HBO Max, Hulu, and more, are not available to access in the UK.

With so many choices, and so many companies promising everything you could ever want …it can be really tough to find the best VPN for you. However, there are a few very important factors that you should always keep in mind before picking a Virtual Private Network. If you’re new to VPNs, this list might help you to choose the best subscription for your needs.

• Cost: How much do you want to spend on a VPN each month? Thankfully, most VPN services offer a very generous money-back guarantee within the first 30 to 45 days, so you’ll be able to commit to a longer contract (these offer the lowest monthly costs) safe in the knowledge that you can get a full refund if you’re unhappy with the service at any point within the first month or so.

• Free: While picking a free VPN might be incredibly tempting – especially if you’re new to VPNs – it’s worth remembering that none of these no-cost services offer the same features as the paid-for options. All free VPN providers will hold back a few features or limit the amount of bandwidth that you’re able to use to push you to upgrade to their paid plans. As such, the money-back guarantees available with paid plans might be a better options, as your download speeds and bandwidth won’t be restricted, and you’ll be able to access premium features like split-tunnelling, password managers, multi-hop and much, much more.

• Devices: If you’re planning to use your new VPN on a very specific device, it’s worth checking the VPN has a compatible app. While some devices, like iPhone, iPad, Android and Fire TV, all offer native VPN support within the operating system, there are other popular gadgets – like Roku streaming dongles – that will need a workaround.

• Privacy: It might sound unimportant, but it’s crucial to check where your new VPN provider has built its headquarters. That’s because different countries require different amounts of data collection on customers (so that companies can share identifying data with authorities) but there is a handful with no data collection laws. This is the best option if you’re signing up for a VPN as a privacy boost.

NordVPN has been crowned as our best VPN service in 2022. There are a number of reasons for this, including its stellar apps for iOS, Android, Windows and Amazon Fire TV Stick, as well as its affordable prices. Find our complete breakdown of why NordVPN is our favourite VPN provider on the market below…

NordVPN is a stellar VPN service that boasts the best mobile apps of any VPNs on this list. Available on iOS and Android, the mobile app makes it ludicrously easy for newcomers to get connected for the first time. If you’re a little unsure about VPNs, NordVPN makes it ludicrously simple to find a server from around the world and change your location. Your frequently-visited countries will always appear at the top of the app – so it’s simple to jump back into your favourite series on US-only Netflix, for example.

And it’s not just iPhone and Android, either. NordVPN allows subscribers to connect a generous 6 different devices at the same time. That’s especially handy since NordVPN has apps for almost every device you could think of, including smartphones, to tablets, games consoles, Chromebooks, Fire TV Stick dongles, Windows and Mac. 

You can even install NordVPN directly on your Wi-Fi router, so that every device that connects to your home Wi-Fi network will be automatically routed via the VPN and shielded by encryption, or (if you want) re-routed via a different country to appear as if you’re abroad. Handy!

When it comes to the number of countries available, NordVPN offers a pretty impressive selection – with a choice of 60 nations worldwide. That said, it’s not quite as many options are ExpressVPN, which boasts 94 possible countries. So, those who want to appear in more exotic locations might want to look elsewhere.

However, NordVPN covers the most popular destinations, including the United States. And for most of us, NordVPN more than makes up for this shortfall with the dizzying number of servers worldwide (more than 5,000 available worldwide compared to just 160 for ExpressVPN), which ensures you’re always able to find a solid connection – even at peak times when some servers could become congested with a flood of users.

When it comes to speed testing, NordVPN only marginally impacted download speeds, which makes it great for streaming video. Without NordVPN enabled, our download speeds were steady at 217Mbps, upload speeds at 37.3Mbps and a ping of 220ms. Connected to NordVPN, our speeds did take a hit (as you’d expect when routing your internet traffic via servers dotted across the globe) but we still had enough bandwidth to stream in Ultra HD. Our download speed dropped to 161Mbps, with upload speed maxing out at 29.5Mbps, and ping increasing to 348ms. 

Thankfully, with the inclusion of features like split-tunnelling with your NordVPN subscription, you only need to take the hit to your speeds on devices that need to be tapping into a server on the other side of the globe.

For those who don’t know, split-tunnelling allows you to pick multiple servers for your online traffic. So, while it might be an advantage for certain devices, like an Amazon Fire TV Stick, to think that it’s in the United States to unlock more boxsets, sports, and movies on streaming services, you might not want that for your iPhone, which needs to know your approximate location for Google Maps, for example.

Picking a server closer to home should also reduce the impact on your download speeds. So, it’s possible to stay connected via a Virtual Private Network in the UK, without sacrificing any download speed on devices where you don’t need to appear abroad.

NordVPN isn’t just a Virtual Private Network as your subscription also covers a password manager from the brand. For those who don’t know, password managers allow you to generate unique passwords for every website or app that you use. These are all stored within the password manager, so you don’t need to remember every % symbol or random sequence of numbers.

It means that – nightmare scenario – one of your logins is exposed in a data breach, hackers won’t be able to access all of your accounts since none will use the same email address-password combination. You’ll only need to change a single account (the one that was leaked) and you can sleep easy. In combination with its password manager, the built-in Dark Web monitoring means that NordVPN will alert you as soon as a breach has exposed your details!

Where NordVPN really shines compared to its closest rival, ExpressVPN, is the difference in price.

Nord offers a number of stellar deals, with prices regularly dropping below £3 a month for a subscription. It also regularly bundles free months when you take out a new subscription, reducing the effective monthly cost even further. 

NordVPN offers a number of possible payment options, including all major credit card providers (Mastercard, VISA, AMEX, and Discovery). PayPal and Amazon Pay are also accepted too. Unlike most of the other providers on this list, you can also pay for NordVPN using Apple Pay and Google Pay. This will allow you to breeze through the checkout process, with your iPhone or Android filling in all of the payment details (and keeping your credit card details stashed away).

You can also subscribe to NordVPN using a number of the most popular cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum.

ExpressVPN is a brilliant VPN provider that could’ve easily pipped NordVPN to our Gold Medal position. In fact, we’re so impressed with this popular Virtual Private Network provider that it scored a complete five stars in our ExpressVPN review. With the same 24/7 customer support and 30-day money-back guarantee as our top pick, ExpressVPN is just as confident about its product as NordVPN. And deservedly so!

In our testing, ExpressVPN performed amazingly with only a marginal impact on download speeds. Without a VPN, we clocked-up download speeds of 219Mbps with an upload speed of 37.3Mbps and a ping of 220ms. Connected to ExpressVPN and routing our web traffic through a server on the other side of the planet, our download speed dropped to just 203Mbps, with our upload speed hitting 32.9Mbps and ping almost untouched at 255ms.

Given the vast distances being travelled, that is a remarkably low drop.

If you don’t have the fastest home broadband connection, ExpressVPN is the best choice on the market. With such a marginal impact on download speeds, you’ll have plenty of bandwidth leftover to stream in the highest picture quality available, make videocalls without stutters or interruptions, and browse the web without issue. While those with speedy full-fibre connections can afford to take more of a hit (and place more emphasis on the extra features available for their monthly subscription fee, like those bundled with NordVPN) those without that luxury should look for the fastest streaming VPN connection speed available …and ExpressVPN has a comfortable lead on that front.

On top of that, ExpressVPN works hard to ensure that it has a steady stream of new servers coming online to escape Netflix’s recent crackdown on VPNs. So while some providers struggle to unlock the full catalogue available in the United States, ExpressVPN never runs into an issue. That’s the reason that ExpressVPN was named our best VPN for streaming.

If you’ve got a truckload of gadgets, the 5 device limit with each ExpressVPN subscription might put you off.

However, just like NordVPN, the company offers dedicated apps to install on your Wi-Fi router – ensuring that every device that connects to your home Wi-Fi network is protected by the VPN. Of course, that means you can ensure your online browsing is shielded on every device from your internet provider, as well as bad actors online.

And if you want to use ExpressVPN to manually change your location around the globe, you’ll be able to use this feature on devices without dedicated apps from the firm, like your Smart TV, smartwatch, and more.

Express VPN pledges to never collect identifying information about its customers, including IP address, online activity, traffic destination, or even the length of each session. Given that one of the main benefits of using a VPN is the boost to privacy, this is a reassuring step.

Actions speak louder than words, and ExpressVPN has taken a number of steps to show its dedication to privacy. The company has based itself in the British Virgin Islands because there are no data retention laws there. That means ExpressVPN isn’t legally obliged to keep tabs on the browsing habits of its customers.

As one of the market leaders, ExpressVPN charges a little more than the competition. As such, if you’re looking for a truly competitive deal, it might be worth looking elsewhere than ExpressVPN. However, those who want to subscribe to the service should look at the 6-month and 15-month options, which offer some huge savings compared to a monthly rolling contract. With one of these promotions, you’ll be able to drop your monthly bills as low as £5.20 or so.

ExpressVPN accepts a number of payment methods, including the biggest credit and debit card providers, like Mastercard, VISA, American Express, and Discover. Paypal and Bitcoin are also options. If you don’t want to pay everything upfront, there’s even Klarna support now – so you can break up the payment into smaller instalments (helpful if you want to buy a one-year subscription upfront to benefit from the biggest saving).

Unfortunately, unlike NordVPN, there’s no Google Pay or Apple Pay for a one-tap checkout. 

The one advantage of picking Surfshark VPN over any of the other services in this list is the ability to login with an unlimited number of devices. That’s not something we’re used to seeing from VPN providers. It means that you’ll be able to login from any number of gadgets that you want – from anywhere on the planet.

Like both ExpressVPN and NordVPN, Surfshark provides a wide variety of apps, including iOS, iPadOS, Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and more. These are all available to download for free as part of your monthly subscription. For those with bucketloads of gadgets at home, Surfshark means you won’t need to juggle which devices are signed-in …something that you might be forced to do with ExpressVPN’s 5 device limit and NordVPN’s (slightly) more generous 6 gadget ceiling.

While ExpressVPN and NordVPN users can get around those limitations by installing the VPN software directly onto their Wi-Fi router, ensuring that every device that connects via your Wi-Fi network is encrypted when it goes online, Surfshark means you won’t have to deal with the hassle of installing the application onto your router (which isn’t as simple as downloading an app from the App Store or Google Play Store…).

Like our top pick, Surfshark does offer a password manager for subscribers (at an extra cost) so you can secure all aspects of your digital life with a single monthly bill. Password managers allow you to create unique alpha-numeric passwords for every online account, with all of these impossible-to-remember passwords stored in an online repository. All you need to do is remember the password to the software vault.

This means that, should the worse happen, and a website is hacked – exposing your email address and password combo you’ll only need to change the login for that site. Hackers will not be able to use the leaked login credentials to access other websites, including online banking, email, social networks, and other much more sensitive services.

Elsewhere, you’ll find the same 30-day money-back guarantee and 24/7 customer support as NordVPN and ExpressVPN, so there’s no risk when signing up for the first time and seeing how Surfshark performs for you. If you download the iOS or Android app before signing up for an account, you’ll be able to test-drive the service (only on those platforms) for one-week before you commit to a subscription plan!

Surfshark VPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, just like NordVPN and ExpressVPN, which means it does not have to comply with any data retention laws (because the British Virgin Islands doesn’t have any!). That means Surfshark will never be forced to store or reveal information on its customers, including how they use the service, how long they’re connected, their real IP address, and more. Surfshark cannot be compelled to reveal any data on its customers by the local government, or law enforcement in the UK, United States, or Europe.

But what really helps Surfshark stand out from its closest competition is the price. Yes, with the right VPN deal under your belt, you can drop the monthly cost down below £2 per month. That’s less than the cost of a single takeaway coffee – and for a ludicrously useful service all month.

There are always new deals and promotions available, so check below for the latest offers.

Surfshark VPN accepts all credit cards, from VISA to Mastercard, AMEX and Discover. There’s also Paypal, Apple Pay and Google Pay – handy if you don’t want to manually fill-out all of your details at the checkout. You can also pay for your VPN subscription with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum.

If you’re still a little uncertain about how a Virtual Private Network is going to fit into your (digital) life, it might be worth taking a look at CyberGhost.

This well-respected provider has hands-down the best money-back guarantee policy of any VPN on this list. While our top pick NordVPN (and most of its competitors) offer a 30-day money-back guarantee for those who don’t get on with its product, CyberGhost extends this to a whopping 45-days.

That means you’ll be able to enjoy a full-featured account for more than a month safe in the knowledge that if it doesn’t work for you, you’ll be able to apply for a refund from the company in minutes. Of course, there are free VPNs that offer unlimited access to their service so you can test whether it’s the right choice for you, but these free tiers lock away some of the best features of a VPN – drastically reducing the amount of bandwidth so that streaming is all-but impossible, imposing download limits, restricting which apps you can use, the list goes on – to make an upgrade to a paid plan more appealing.

Unfortunately, the restriction often means that it’s better to take advantage of a money-back guarantee to really judge whether a Virtual Private Network is going to work for your setup.

Like NordVPN and Express VPN, CyberGhost offers 24/7 live chat with its customer service team so no matter what time it is – you’ll be able to get your problem resolved.

CyberGhost also offers a free tier, if you want to use that to dip your toes in the water, before signing up to one of its best value bundles (these arrive with the 45-day money-back guarantee, as the pricier rolling one-month subscription only has a 14-day refund period).

Elsewhere, CyberGhost offers a pretty competitive package compared to its rivals. You’ll be able to manually change your location to some 91 different countries around the world – that’s the second-highest number, falling behind only Express VPN in our definitive list of VPNs. For those who need to travel virtually to far-flung destinations, CyberGhost is a brilliant choice.

It also has more than 7,700 servers across those 91 countries – the highest of any provider on this list – so you should always be able to find a server that’s free from congestion, even during peak times.

Just as you’d expect from a service that encrypts your online traffic and keeps your web browsing safe from prying eyes, CyberGhost makes some lofty promises about data security. “When using the CyberGhost VPN, we have no idea about your traffic data such as browsing history, traffic destination, data content, and search preferences. These are not monitored, recorded, logged or stored by us,” CyberGhost says.

Better yet, it doesn’t store your credit card information (VISA, Mastercard, AMEX, and Discover are all supported), either. Everything is processed by a third-party payment processor. Of course, there are a number of other ways to pay for your VPN subscription, including PayPal, Bitcoin, and Apple Pay for a one-tap checkout process. Unfortunately, Android users lose out as there’s no support for Google Pay right now. 

Private Internet Access VPN might not have the snappiest name, but it does have some very exciting features at a low cost. Like the other VPN providers in this article, Private Internet Access (PIA) offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and 24/7 access to customer service if you need to take them up on that offer. That means you should feel confident signing up for a longer contract …handy, as that’s the best way to secure the biggest discounts from PIA.

PIA never keeps any usage logs – it doesn’t store any details on its customers. That’s important as one of the key reasons to install a Virtual Private Network onto your machine is to protect your privacy. Unlike a number of the other providers in this list, PIA is headquartered in a country where law enforcement can request access to data logs.

Based in the United States, PIA circumvents this issue by never storing any information on customers’ browsing history. There have been a number of real-life cases where law enforcement requested data on its customers, but PIA was unable to provide any information on the cases.

Used by 15 million customers worldwide, PIA not only encrypts and secures your online activity.

Like the other VPNs in the list, PIA makes it easy to manually change your IP address to make it appear as if you’re based abroad. That means you can access streaming services, sports fixtures as well as boxsets and films not available in your current location. PIA doesn’t place any limits on the amount of bandwidth that can be routed via its secure VPN – perfect for those who want to binge hours of content.

One clever feature that PIA offers to customers is a dedicated IP address. This offers all of the benefits of a VPN – accessing restricted content, stream boxsets from overseas, hide your online activity from your ISP and other prying eyes – but swerves some of the headaches that can crop-up with other VPNs. For example, if you’re using a different IP address each time you login online, you might find yourself confronted with CAPTCHAs and other security checks as your favourite sites think you’re logging in from an unknown location (a possible sign of fraud). A dedicated IP address resolves this in the same way as logging in without a VPN prevents these headaches.

PIA has dedicated apps for all of the usual platforms – Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, games consoles and Smart TVs, as well as Chrome, Opera and FireFox web browser extensions too. If there isn’t a dedicated app for the device you’re using, PIA offers software for Wi-Fi routers. If you install this, it’ll ensure that every device that connects to your Wi-Fi network will be tunnelled through a secure VPN connection.

When it comes to payment, there is a truckload of options available.

Like most of the providers in this list, PIA accepts all major credit cards, including Visa, Mastercard and AMEX. Paypal and Amazon Pay are also available, which should make the checkout process frictionless if you already have an account with these providers. Anonymous payment methods, such as cryptocurrencies are also accepted.

PIA accepts a wider variety of cryptocurrencies compared with some of the other suppliers in this list, with Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitpay, Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash all payment options. Uniquely, PIA accepts third-party gift cards from Starbucks, Walmart, Best Buy, and more as payment too.

Unlike the other VPNs we’ve covered so far in this article, ProtonVPN boasts an entirely free subscription. If you’re unsure about how a Virtual Private Network will work for you, this is a great way to dip your toe into the water. While there are a number of free VPNs available, as you might expect, these usually arrive with a long, long list of limitations in a bid to push people to the paid subscription tiers (for example, companies will restrict the amount of data that can be accessed via the VPN, limits to the number of devices that can be signed-in with your account, a limited number of servers available… the list goes on and on) but ProtonVPN is a rare exception.

Of course, there are limitations on the free account, but these are manageable.

When using the free account, ProtonVPN only offers three locations around the world: the United States, Japan and Netherlands. So, if you’re abroad and want to spoof your location back in the UK to access services not available outside of the country, you’re out of luck. Likewise, if you’re looking to connect to services only available in nations outside of the USA, Japan and Netherlands …you’d be better opting for one of the other providers mentioned in this article.

However, when it comes to streaming video, the United States is one of the most popular locations for VPN users. So, the fact that ProtonVPN includes the USA as part of its free subscription is a huge win.

Speaking of streaming video, ProtonVPN doesn’t limit the amount of data available to free subscribers. So, you can stream gigabytes of data via its encrypted connection without any penalty. This is the most common limitation placed on free subscriptions. With ProtonVPN, you’ll be able to binge a few boxsets, stream sports fixtures in crisp High Definition, and more without worrying about being forced to upgrade to a paid tier.

That said, free ProtonVPN subscribers won’t get quite the same experience as those with the paid suppliers listed above. That’s because the single biggest drawback with opting for the free subscription tier from ProtonVPN is that your online traffic will be de-prioritised compared to paying customers.

As such, during peak times, you can expect to see your download speeds dwindle as ProtonVPN ensures its paid subscribers enjoy a buffer-free experience. That’s understandable. After all, this won’t cost you anything – so you can’t really complain.

Like the other companies in this article, ProtonVPN has a number of apps available, including iOS and Android, Windows and Mac, and popular streaming gadgets, like the Fire TV Stick. So you should be able to get its VPN up-and-running on all of your gadgets without hassle.

ProtonVPN has strict data protection policies, with pledges not to log any information about your online activity. And if you do want to switch to its paid subscription tiers, there are some solid deals available for those willing to sign-up to longer contracts.

If you do want to upgrade to one of the paid subscriptions, there are a number of payment plans available. Those who sign-up for the longer contracts will unlock the best discounts. You can pay for your membership with Paypal, all major credit card providers, and Bitcoin.

Using a VPN isn’t illegal in the UK. In fact, if you use a company laptop when working from home, there’s a very high likelihood that it will have a VPN installed to protect sensitive information. Likewise, Government departments rely on these services to keep information shielded from prying eyes when working abroad or in the field. VPNs have been incredibly popular in enterprise environments for years but, as we rely on the internet for more and more of our daily lives, these services are becoming more commonplace amongst individuals.

There are 10 countries in the world where VPNs are specifically outlawed: China, Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Iraq, Turkey, UAE, and Oman. If you’re travelling to any of these, you might want to uninstall the app from your device. Anywhere else on the planet, you’ll allowed to connect to the internet using a VPN.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that everything you do when connected via a VPN will be given the thumbs up. For example, if you’re hoping to unlock extra boxsets, movies, or sports fixtures not broadcast in the UK …it’s worth checking the terms and condition of each service to make sure that using a VPN isn’t breaking any of its rules. For example, streaming from BBC iPlayer is restricted to those located within the UK who are covered with a television licence, with the use of VPNs to unblock the streaming service from Europe, the USA, and beyond specifically called-out in the small-print.

Given that one of the main selling points of connecting to the web with a VPN is that it shields your activity from outside eyes, it’s important to question the security of the Virtual Private Network provider. Our top pick – NordVPN – is incredibly safe to use. It doesn’t record any data from your activity, which includes connection timestamps, the amount of bandwidth used during your most recent session, or the IP addresses used to connect.

As mentioned above, NordVPN limits the number of devices that subscribers can connect to at any one time. Of course, in order to determine how many devices you’re using at any one time, NordVPN has to collect some data when you connect. According to the firm, “an algorithm keeps their username and the timestamp of the last session status while the session is active. This data is wiped within 15 minutes after the session is terminated”.

If that makes you a little nervous, NordVPN has proven how committed it is to security by basing the company in the British Virgin Islands. That location isn’t a coincidence, the British Virgin Islands have no data retention laws, so it’s not legally required to collect information about its customers and their habits.

It’s worth remembering that without a Virtual Private Network, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) can see everything you do online – every website, the amount of time spent on each site, and the frequency that you head online. So, even with the small amount of data collected to ensure that you’re not signed into too many devices, you’re still much safer online with a VPN installed.

If you’re looking to save plenty of cash on your monthly subscription, you’ll want to take advantage of one of the best VPN deals around. These impressive price drops can save hundreds on the cost of a Virtual Private Network. While many of the top-rated VPNs in this article regularly run promotions and discounts on their subscriptions, there are a number of other VPN services that also offer huge savings. We’ve rounded up some of the best discounts and deals available below…

Yes, most likely.

Encrypting all of your internet traffic adds an extra step in the process, which impacts the amount of time that passes between clicking a button in your web browser and your request being received by the website itself. On top of this, the further that your data has to travel, the slower the connection will be. If everything you’re doing online is being routed via Missouri in the United States, that’s going to slow things down even further.

One of the biggest differentiators between VPNs is how much they alter your internet speed. In our testing, NordVPN and ExpressVPN provided the fastest connections, with SurfShark – which, admittedly, has both of the two others in this list beaten when it comes to pricing – resulting in slightly slower connections.

Most VPNs will allow you to customise which apps use their services when connecting online. For example, you might want your social media accounts to connect to the internet without a VPN. After all, this means you’ll be able to refresh your social feed much faster and can easily tag yourself in specific locations. However, you might want all of your video streaming services, like Prime Video and Netflix, to default to the VPN.

NordVPN, ExpressVPN and SurfShark VPN all offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if there are any issues with your new VPN subscription within the first month, you’ll be able to get a full refund. Coupled with the 24/7 customer support, so you’ll be able to chat with a customer service representative at any time no matter what time-zone you’re in, should give you the confidence to sign-up for one of the longer subscription terms (up to two years with some of these providers) and unlock the biggest savings!

Better yet, ExpressVPN offers Klarna payment plans on its one-year subscription, so you’ll still be able to pay in small amounts each month while enjoy the unbeaten 49% off only available for those who commit to the longest contract term with the company. As Hannah Montana would say, you’re getting the best of both worlds …all back up with a 30-day no-quibble, money-back guarantee.

Separately, ExpressVPN and SurfShark VPN both offer a 7-day free trial to new users who download the iOS or Android app from the App Store or Google Play Store, respectively. once installed, new users can activate a week-long trial period within the app. This trial is limited to within that app, so you won’t be able to stream on your Fire TV Stick, for example. Nonetheless, it’s a great way to test out the latest features without parting with any cash.

There are a number of free VPNs out there, which offer many of the best features of a Virtual Private Network without costing you a penny. We’ve rounded up the best picks in our best free VPN guide.

But while a free VPN might sound like a great idea, it’s worth noting that all of these services restrict functionality to prompt users to upgrade to paid plans. As such, you might struggle with these free services – leaving you unable to watch your favourite show due to the limited bandwidth, or be unable to watch unblocked Netflix due to the limited locations available when manually changing your IP address.

Since a number of the most popular VPNs offer a 30-day money-back guarantee (and 24/7 customer service to help refund you), then there’s no risk signing up for a paid plan with the complete suite of features. Find the latest VPN prices below…

Split-Tunnelling is an advanced feature built into most top-tier VPNs that allow you to pick and choose which websites and streaming apps are re-routed via the encrypted Virtual Private Network. This is especially useful if you want to leverage the VPN to manually change your IP address.

For example, while you might want to change the IP address for some streaming services – like Netflix, which offers different catalogues of boxsets and movies in different countries – there could be others that don’t play nice with the new location – BBC iPlayer doesn’t work when you’re outside of the UK. Split-Tunnelling allows you to do exactly that.

Our top pick, NordVPN, supports Split-Tunnelling in a number of its most popular apps, including iPhone, Android and Fire TV Stick. However, all of the other VPN providers in this article also support the feature.

We’ve been testing VPNs for a little while now, and our top pick in 2021 was the brilliant NordVPN (that’s the same VPN service we’re recommending in 2022).

If you’re new to Virtual Private Networks, NordVPN is a brilliant starting point, with its gorgeous mobile apps for Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, iPadOS, Amazon Fire TV, and more. Encrypting all of the data transmitted over your Wi-Fi connection takes a single tap and you’ll be able to quickly change your location to anywhere on the map, thanks to the 5,000 available servers worldwide. NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if you’re not completely satisfied and there is a team of customer service representatives available 24-hours a day to help you out with any issues that crop up.

NordVPN also offers a great balance between low monthly prices, a brilliant service, and feature-packed software. While it’s not the cheapest on the market, it’s more affordable than its nearest rival: ExpressVPN. And you’ll also benefit from split-tunnelling (so you can set a location for some applications, like Netflix, while keeping another IP address for others, like Google Maps, where it makes sense to remain in your current location), fast video streaming speeds, and built-in malware protection to shield you from computer viruses.